Ancient Hospital
by cookie chama
Summary: The SPR team goes to an old hospital to investigate their latest case, unusual casualties and sudden deaths. I'm not good with summaries, but please read! Rated T to be safe
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi everyone! Is it unusual to start a fanfic with an author's note to you? Hmm…I wonder…well, I wouldn't know what you guys would think 'coz this is my first fanfic! WooHoo! Eh, you probably don't want to hear this stuff anyway…On With The Story!

Disclaimer: I'll only say this once. **I DON'T OWN GHOST HUNT OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS! **The plot is all more though…or at least I think it is…

**Important::: _Italics_ means that it is not actually said. It's just a thought.**

1:37 PM

The SPR van came to a halt in front of an old run-down building, followed shortly by another vehicle driven by Houshou Takigawa, AKA Monk-san/Bou-san. Everyone stepped out of their vehicles and did a quick survey of the building. It was a high building, with around 27 floors, at least. It was unbelievably old and looked as though it would fall apart. The outside walls were covered with graffiti and almost all the windows were shattered. Bits of grass and other weeds sprouted up everywhere, covering the lower part of the cracked walls. A few shutters hung loosely on their hinges while some creaked whenever a breeze blew. The building, despite its current appearance, was actually refurbished a few months ago. It used to be a hospital but closed down some years ago. Now, the people decided to reopen it, which is exactly why they had it restored.

That's where SPR comes in. Two days ago, they received a client asking them to "cleanse" the building. According to their client, strange things have been keeping the people and the construction crews from fixing the building. Their client called via phone so they didn't get many details, but he said that he would fill them in once they arrived on the spot.

So, here they are to investigate the "paranormal" occurrences. But where was their mysterious client? No where to be found.

Naru sighed deeply. Clearly he was _very_ annoyed with their current situation. For one thing, they'd been traveling on the road for over six hours and none of them even had any lunch yet. To add to all that, their client, who barely told them anything about their case, wasn't even around to brief them, let alone give them anything to eat. Yes, everyone was hungry and probably very irritable about all that's happened so far.

Bou-san squinted his eyes and started to look around. "Where is that guy? Shouldn't he be here by now?" he asked.

Naru shrugged. "He's supposed to be here to let us in on our next case," he said with a little more edge in his voice than usual.

Everyone, except for Lin, stiffened. Naru was really upset and most likely more moody than usual. They took this as a hint to keep their mouths shut. Deciding that it wouldn't really do them any good to stand around there doing nothing, they went to walk around the outside of the building and take notes along the way.

Halfway around the building, the walls seemed to get nicer. The paint, although cracked in some areas, was in pretty good condition and the windows were a bit rusty but still stood firmly on their hinges. There were noticeably less weeds and less garbage.

As they continued to walk on, the building looked better and better. Finally, when they reached the part of the building opposite of the side where they parked, the entire structure actually looked like a real hospital. Fresh white paint, clean windows, and glass doors. In the front was a beautiful garden dotted with vibrant flowers.

The team pushed open the huge glass doors and stepped onto a marble floor. The walls inside of the building were painted a soft green and pale yellow. There was a counter directly in front of the main entrance and there were a few couches around the lobby. A handful of people moved around the foyer with a quick pace, none of them even realized SPR's presence.

Calmly, Naru made his way to the front desk. "Excuse me," he said in his usual cold tone. "I'm looking for someone. Do you know a _Mr. Yasuo_?"

The woman behind the desk looked up at him. "Yasuo-san? Sure, everyone knows him. He's the one in charge of rebuilding this hospital. Do you have business with him?"

"Yes," Naru said in an irritated voice, "Do you know where he is?"

The woman thought for a moment before saying, "I think he's outside, at the construction site." She looked at the rest of the SPR team and continued, "Would you like me to ask someone to take you there?"

"We'd appreciate that," Lin cut in.

The woman nodded and pushed a button on an intercom device. "Kaoru, come here for a minute," she spoke into the machine. A few seconds later, a spiky brown-haired boy appeared. He looked about 18 and stood at about Naru's height. "Yeah?" he asked.

"I need you to show these people to the construction site at the back," she told him. "They want to see Yasuo-san." She then turned to the SPR team and smiled sweetly. "This is Kaoru, he'll show you the way."

Kaoru smiled at the group, particularly at Mai. "Right this way," he said as he began to make his way to the door. He led the group out the building and around a corner. They kept walking until Bou-san paused. They had arrived back at the uglier part of the building, where they parked their vans. "We're back here, huh?" Bou-san commented.

Kaoru turned back to them. "We're almost there." Kaoru resumed his pace, and everyone followed. They walked further along until they reached near the end of that wall. Soon, a job site came into view. People were carrying beams and sacks around. There was a lot of yelling and the sound of machines working filled the air.

"I wonder why we didn't hear this when we got here," Ayako said, covering her ears. Everyone did the same.

"THE CREW WAS PROBABLY ON THEIR LUNCH BREAK," Kaoru shouted over the noise. "LOOK! THERE'S YASUO-SAN," he pointed to the man in a white hard-hat.

They approached the site, their heads aching from the noise. When one of the workers saw them coming, he signaled the crew to stop working. He advanced toward them. "Kaoru, who are these people?" he asked. "They're here to see Yasuo-san," Kaoru replied. The man nodded and went to the man in the white hat. Some words were exchanged before both of them approached to join the group.

"Are you Yasuo Hatori-san?" Naru asked impatiently. The man looked flustered for a moment but he replied, "Yes, that's me. You're SPR, am I right." Naru replied, "Correct." Hatori excused himself from his crew and walked Naru and the others away from the site before he gave them the signal to continue with the equipment.

Yasuo was about to begin talking about the case when Ayako cut him off. "Oji-san, can we talk about it over lunch? We haven't had anything to eat yet!" she demanded.

"Oh, yes, sorry. I'll treat you all to lunch. It'll be at the same place you'll be staying, I hope that's alright."

"That's fine," the miko snapped.

And so, they headed back to the hospital's parking lot, got into Yasuo's van and drove a few miles to a small hotel. There, they ordered lunch and Yasuo started explaining the case.

"The hospital's been run down for years, but everyone decided that it would be better if we reopened it just incase someone would need immediate help. Our town is far from big cities so it would be inconvenient for those who have an emergency," he began. "We managed to rebuild the eastern wing of the hospital fine, but it's the west wing's construction that concerns me. We can never manage to work on it. Things just keep happening, things that shouldn't be happening…"

"Things like what?" Naru asked just before their food arrived. Everyone started eating as soon as the plates were set down.

"Equipment suddenly breaks down, cables just snap, there were even casualties! I had to hire an entirely new crew because the old one was too spooked!" He paused a moment to settle down. "Anyway, it's not just the construction I'm worried about. There's something wrong with the east wing too."

"I thought you said the east wing was already fine," Bou-san said with a spoonful of food halfway to his mouth.

Yasuo shook his head. "The construction was fine, but business wasn't as well. Didn't you notice that there were only a few people there? The east wing is already open but we can't seem to get any doctors or patients. We had some good doctors before as well as some frequent patients. Everything went well at first but…" he trailed off, seeming uneasy to continue.

Naru took a sip of his tea and set the cup down. "But what?" he prodded. Yasuo took a deep sigh and continued, "Patients suddenly", he paused, "…die…"

Everyone stopped from what they were doing and stared at the man in front of them. "Suddenly…die…?" John repeated. "W-What do you mean?" Mai asked. "How can people suddenly die? There has to be a cause, right?" Bou-san asked. "Yeah, like a stroke or something, maybe?" Ayako said.

Once again, Yasuo shook his head. "No cause of death. One minute they're healthy and the next, they're dead. Sometimes a healthy patient would suddenly stop breathing or a person near recovery just drops down dead. That's the reason no one wants to come to the hospital. They believe it's cursed, and right now, I wouldn't blame them. After those incidents, the doctors just quit. Even the people there now are thinking of resigning. There are some people there who aren't afraid of the things happening, but if this keeps up, I'll have to close down the hospital anyway." He ended with a deep sigh.

Naru nodded, and then he turned to Masako. She shook her head. "I didn't sense anything outside, but there was something inside. I still can't tell if whatever's inside is dangerous or not."

Naru closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again and directing his dark orbs towards Mai. Mai cringed. "W-What? Why are you asking me? I'm not the psychic here…"

"True." Naru looked away. He directed his gaze back at his client. "Anything else we should know?"

The said man shook his head. "That's about it, I think. But if you need something, you can feel free to come see me anytime. You could ask the people at the eats wing too, if you'd like. They all know about the stuff that goes on."

After that short conversation, Yasuo left the SPR team to get back to the construction site. Lin and Takigawa went back with him to get their cars as well as their luggage. Meanwhile, the others were left behind.

Mai stretched her legs under the table. "What now?" she asked. Naru checked his watch. 4:15 PM. "Well, for now, let's try to get some information about the hospital. Its history, legends, anything you can get from the people around this town. We'll set up base at the hospital tomorrow morning," he said. The rest agreed to this plan.

A/N: That's it for the first chapter! How is it? Good? Bad? Let me know what you think! Thank you!!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello! I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, I was in China for two months, studying…but now I'm back! Haha! Okay, here's the second chapter! R&R!!!

Again, _Italics_ means that it's not actually said, just a thought.

!!!!!!!I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!!!!!!!!!

7:37 PM

The SPR team met up in Naru and Lin's room to talk about anything they found out about the hospital.

Lin positioned himself in front of his laptop, as he usually did.

"Alright. What have we got?" Naru asked.

Bou-san crossed his legs, folded his arms, and leaned back into his chair. "I went around with John to ask the previous construction crews why they quit and each of them had a bizarre story to tell. One of them claimed that the equipment would suddenly go on and off by itself. Another said that cables would suddenly snap even though it wasn't carrying its weight capacity yet. Others said support beams would suddenly collapse and tools would just go missing. They claimed theses things have happened on more than one occasion."

"They've also said something about casualties. A truck suddenly overturned, killing the driver and two other workers on the spot. A new and stable support beam also suddenly snapped and took the life of a 31 year old employee." John added.

"I went to ask the nurses and doctors who quit. They had stories too. It was kind of like what Yasuo said, equipment going on and off and patients suddenly dying. But there was something else. Nurses said that supplies in the stockroom would fall off the shelves on their own and lockers in the employees' locker rooms would burst open and stuff would come flying out all of a sudden. Lights go on and off, electricity was unstable and the new generators would malfunction every time they needed it." Mai said, a shiver crawling up her back.

Ayako took a deep breath before beginning her story. "I went out asking the townspeople and previous patients, along with their families, what they knew about the hospital building and the strange occurrences that go on."

"What did you get?" Bou-san interrupted.

"I was getting to that!" Ayako snapped back impatiently. "The stories and rumors are no secret to everyone. They've all heard a tale or two about what happens. The sudden deaths, the equipment, even the dangers of stepping onto the site. One thing they all agree on is that there's a bigger chance for you to die in that hospital with a minor illness than to take a rest at home with a heavy disease."

"The doctors mentioned that too." Mai said.

"There's more…"Ayako said in a low tone, "The patients, or those who survived, said that they would see figures."

"What kind of figures?" Naru asked.

"All kinds of people. Some of them saw men, others saw women, and some said there were children too. They'd disappear as suddenly as they appear. Right after they leave, the patients would hear strange noises. Sounds like banging and heavy things being dragged or rattled…some even said they heard children crying…"

Naru nodded. "Did you get all that, Lin?" he asked.

Lin tapped on his laptop some more before replying, "Yes."

Masako leaned back in her seat. "I've walked around the building and the areas around it. Like I said before, I sensed something was going on inside the east wing. There wasn't anything wrong with the outside, just a few small spirits which should be no threat at all."

"What about the construction site?" Naru asked. 

"Good question…when we went there to see Yasuo-san, there was something heavy, but it disappeared almost instantly. When I went back a while ago, there was nothing at all. I think there are two possibilities…Either I was imagining it and there was never really anything there or…maybe it's a very powerful spirit that can hide its presence completely…"

The entire room fell silent. Even Lin, who usually had a solid face, looked at the medium with a hint of surprise.

Naru cleared his throat and broke the silence. "Whatever it is, it'll be just like the other cases we've faced. For now, let's all go and take a rest. We'll set up base at the hospital tomorrow."

Everyone was tired and it was getting late so the team made no argument to Naru's suggestion. They left Naru and Lin's room and headed for their own. Mai, Ayako, and Masako shared a room together while John and Takigawa shared a room next door.

Meanwhile, in Lin and Naru's room:::

"What do you think we should do next? If it's like what Masako said, then maybe it's better off if we leave this place before someone gets hurt." Lin said.

"No. As of now, we aren't sure of anything yet. In the mean time, see what you can find out about the site where the hospital is being built. I have a feeling it has something to do with this case…"

Without another word, Lin resumed typing on his laptop. Naru's face dropped slightly as he remembered the last time they handled a case similar to the spirit Masako mentioned.

In the girls' room:::

Mai's eyelids opened slowly…

_This smell…disinfectant?_

Mai sat up and looked about the room. It was very dark and little green lights beeped here and there. Little shiny things were on a small tray on a table and the entire room smelled like isotropic alcohol.

Mai squinted her eyes.

A few seconds later, two people came in the room. One of them was holding something behind her back. The other one advanced on Mai, holding her down on the bed. Mai started struggling, trying to scream…but nothing came out. The first person drew out whatever she had behind her back and stabbed it to Mai's neck…

"NOO!!!" Mai shot up from her bed, breathing heavily.

"Mai! What happened?! Are you alright?" Ayako hovered over Mai.

Masako quietly brought over a glass of water and Mai thankfully accepted it. It took a few minutes for her to calm down and steady her breathing.

"What happened?" Masako finally spoke up.

"A…A dream…" Mai stuttered.

"One of Mai's dreams…could it be related to this case?" Ayako thought out loud.

Mai shook her head. "I don't know…there was…a room…and two people came in…One of them held me down and the other…struck something on my neck…and then I woke up…"

"Hmm…I guess it's not related after all. Maybe it was just a bad dream." Ayako said.

"Y-Yeah…I guess…" Mai agreed.

The next morning, everyone gathered for breakfast. Mai stayed quiet through the whole meal. She was still very confused about the dream she had. Sure, it didn't seem as though it had any connection to the case whatsoever, but she didn't usually have these dreams unless it was important. Besides that, it felt so real for her. The feeling of sheer terror and fear being washed over her was so physical. She didn't even understand what frightened her so much. The two people, before one of them held her down, just seeing them sent a chill through her entire being! The feeling was so unbelievably horrifying that just remembering it frightened her.

Bou-san seemed to catch on to her little problem. "Mai, what's up?"

"Huh?!" Mai's head perked up. "Ah…eheh…nothing, really."

"Hey, Mai, tell them about your dream last night." Ayako suddenly said.

Mai suddenly felt the same chill run through her body. She stiffened and turned her gaze away from the others.

"Mai…you…you don't have to…" Ayako said, suddenly realizing the mistake she just made.

Mai shivered. "No…it's fine…" Mai turned her head to face the group. She took a deep breath before starting, "I was in a room when two people came in. One of them held me down on a bed and the other struck something in my neck. After that, I woke up…"

"What do you think?" Bou-san asked Naru. "Is it connected?"

Naru shook his head. "As of now, I don't know, but I have a feeling we'll find out soon. For now, we're heading for the hospital. Lin, I'll leave setting up the base to you." With that said, Naru turned around to leave.

"Hey, and where are you going?" Ayako all but yelled.

Naru stopped but didn't look back. "I have to make a phone call," was all he said before resuming his pace.

The rest of the team stood there, a bit speechless, but they made no argument. Instead, they finished up their meals and got in their vans.

It was around a ten minute drive from the hotel to the hospital. Once they got there, Yasuo showed them a room they could use as their base. Mai and the others then started putting up equipment.

There were television sets put up in one side of the room. They set up cameras in different rooms and along the hallways, as well as in the lobby. Thermometers were also set up to record the temperatures. Lastly, the infrared cameras were put up and they were done.

As if on cue, Naru stepped through the door and looked around the room. He didn't make any comment about their base, clearly meaning he was satisfied.

By now it was 11:15 AM. Setting up the base took more of their time than anyone expected. Lin seemed unaffected by their delay and was, once again, typing away on his laptop.

Naru approached him slowly, from behind. "Did you find anything?" he asked in his usual cool tone.

Lin turned from his seat and reached for a few folders on a table. He flipped them open, scanning the contents, before handing them to Naru. "Nothing much except that this place had always been used as a hospital. It's been this way for over 120 years. The original hospital was built in the late 1880s, but business didn't go so well and it was closed down after only 50 years. It's been in ruins until a few years ago when the town got caught up in many accidents and epidemics simultaneously. It was very troublesome to have ambulances fetch the patients because the hospitals were very far away and by the time they got here, most of the patients were already dead or suffering. That's when they came to a decision to build their own hospital. Since this site was originally as a hospital, they agreed to do it here."

"Hmm…"Naru said while leafing through Lin's research. "Interesting…anything about why the first hospital wasn't so successful?"

"Nothing about that." Lin said.

"I see. For now let's just observe. We can't do anything unless something happens. Takigawa-san, see if you can get the hospital's blueprints, and make it quick. We have more work to do."

"Right."

The former monk dashed out the door and ran all the way to the front desk.

"Sorry, but if you want something like that, you'll have to ask Yasuo-san himself. I think he's at the construction site outside" the woman behind the front desk said.

"Okay, thanks."

Again, the ex-monk found himself running and out of breath. Soon, he reached the other end of the building. The sound of loud equipment and drills told him he was near the construction site. He lowered his pace and walked casually towards Yasuo-san.

As soon as Yasuo caught sight of Bou-san, he signaled his men to stop working.

"Takigawa-san, how's the case going?" he asked casually.

"It's just the second day, but so far, yeah, I guess it's pretty good. Nothing's been happening yet."

"Sou…ah, what brings you here, by the way?" Yasuo said.

"Ah, I need the blue prints for the hospital. I was told you'd have it."

Yasuo smiled. "Of course! I have the copy of it over here."

Yasuo turned and headed toward a small pile of wood. He picked up a piece of paper and folded it up as he made his way back to the monk.

"Here you go." He smiled.

"Thanks" was all Takigawa could say.

He took the folded paper and turned back. As he was walking, he could hear the crew resume their work. Once again, the sound of machinery filled the air.

The door to the SPR team's base burst open and Takigawa Houshou walked in. Gasping and panting, he collapsed on the floor. The blueprints fell out of his hand. Naru picked it up while everyone else rushed to the collapsed man's side. They helped him to a chair and let him rest.

"What happened to him?" Mai wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure, but this might mean something." Naru said as he unfolded the paper.

Everyone gasped.

Scribbled on the back of the blueprints with what looked like blood were the words: Get out! Or my revenge will overtake you!

Ayako found her voice first and managed to spatter out, "W-What does it mean?"

By now, Masako was very pale.

"Th-This…This is…"she struggled with her words.

"What is this?" Naru asked.

Masako gulped. "I sense…a very powerful spirit…much stronger than the one _last time_…"

Mai cringed at the memory…

Flashback:::

_The case was nearing its climax. The team realized they weren't fighting an evil spirit anymore…this was the devil himself. The hallway was dark as they ran through the empty corridor. Through the pitch black hall, an ominous fog overtook them, choking them, blinding them._

_Just when they were about to pass out, the fog began to leave them. It gathered into a cluster and began to form a shape of…not a man, but a beast. It seemed hollow and transparent. Long horns grew out of its head, its hands and feet turned into claws. The wings on its back were nothing more than skeletons and hanging veins. Its eyes were deep in their sockets yet seemed as though they would bulge out. Its face, skin, everything was wrinkled and crumpled. Its nose was almost none existent as it sunk deep into its face. It had rotting teeth and torn clothes. The hair on its head was matted and tangled, and the entire creature not only smelled like blood but was covered in it._

_Its saliva dripped to the floor as it slumped forward. Its arms dangled at its sides as it advanced on the group like a drunkard. It swayed waywardly as it approached them._

_Suddenly, its head jerked to the side, its bloodshot eyes focused on Mai. Mai backed up. The creature, seeing Mai's fear, grinned._

"_Mai!" Bou-san yelled. He jumped in front of Mai and started chanting "Nanmaku Sanmanda Bazaradan Kan…Nanmaku Sanmanda Bazaradan Kan!"_

End Flashback:::

"Mai!"

"Huh?!" Mai snapped back into reality.

"Geez, Mai, don't space out like that!" Ayako said.

"G-Gomen…" Mai replied.

"Ungh…"

Everyone turned to the source of the sound. Behind them, a collapsed ex-monk was just about to wake up. The approached him and Mai gently shook him awake.

"Ugh…" he said as he started regaining consciousness.

A bit later, he opened his eyes and brought his hand to his head. "Ow…"

"Are you alright? What happened to you?!" Mai, Ayako, and John hovered over Bou-san.

"Uh…I…"

"Do you remember?" John asked.

"I…I think so…

A/N: And that's it for chapter 2! Hahaha! What did happen to our favorite ex-monk? And what's up with their '_last case_'??? Hmm…nothing much is happening yet, but stick around the next chapter's coming up soon!

Once again, sorry for the long no update! But chapter 3 will be much faster, I promise!

!!!!!!!Please review!!!!!!!


	3. This chapter was changed See AN

A/N: Ahhh!!! I'm really sorry for this!!!

To those who've read the third chapter, the second half made no sense right???Okay, it was a mix up with my documents and im really sorry. Now, you dont have to re-read this chapter, just please go to the end to see where it was supposed to have left off...

Again, really sorry. But i promise not to make that kind of mistake again! please keep reading!!!

Anyway, please enjoy this next chapter and thanks for those who reviewed and keeps up with my story!!!!!

PS: This will be the last time I say this…I DON'T OWN GHOST HUNT OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!!!

12:00PM

Bou-san struggled to remember what happened after he got the blueprints from their client.

"Let's see…I went to get the blueprints, like Naru told me to…I went to the construction site to look for Yasuo. I got it from him, no problem…" He stopped. His face paled and his expression went into shock. "I saw it! On my way back, I got lost around this floor. One of the rooms…

:::flashback to about half an hour ago:::

Bou-san got off the elevator and wandered around the fourth floor. It was dark and empty with faint lights lining the corridor. Along the way, he noticed a door to his right which was slightly ajar. Cautiously, he peeked through the small crack. Inside, the room was dark and quiet. Little green lights went beeping on and off. On the bed lay a small figure, asleep. It looked like a small child.

Just before he was about to leave, he heard a noise. It was coming from inside the room.

Laughter.

From children.

Many children.

He peeked again. There was still only one child inside, sleeping. Then he heard it again. So many voices, laughing and giggling.

Suddenly the machine stopped beeping. The entire bed began shaking and rattling, as if the person was convulsing heavily. Without a second thought, he pushed open the door and ran inside, but he was caught off guard by what awaited him.

It wasn't the child who was convulsing, but the bed that moved and rattled about. Around the child's bed, small white figures started to take shape. There were many of them, and they were all laughing.

_I won't let you hurt this kid…_Bou-san thought.

With a new found determination, he began to chant his mantra. His voice was steady and controlling. Despite the authority in his tone, the apparitions charged at him, knocking him against the hallway's walls. He hit his head but was determined not to pass out.

He struggled back to his feet, only to find that the spirits had left. As he approached the now stable bed, he came to a horrifying realization. The spirits took the child's soul with them.

He ran back to the base. Still, he had hit his head pretty hard and it took every amount of concentration he could muster to keep awake. Seeing the door of the base proved to be a great relief for him. He drew out the blueprint and threw open the door, but before a word could escape his mouth, he collapsed.

:::end flashback:::

Everyone stood speechless. Bou-san's story was a shock to everyone. They all stayed quiet until Lin suddenly called for Naru and directed him to one of the television screens. Everyone followed suit. Even the recovering Bou-san got up to join the action.

One of their cameras recorded what happened. Well, not the apparitions. It only showed the monk crashing into the wall.

"I have a question for you, Takigawa-san. What's this?" Naru asked, holding up the message on the back of the blueprints.

"Huh? I don't know. That wasn't there when I got it from Yasuo."

Naru sighed. "This is getting complicated. Let's all go get some lunch. Afterwards, there are a few things I'd like all of you to look into."

12:45 PM

The SPR team ate lunch at the hotel's restaurant. Halfway through their meal, a familiar face came into the team's view.

It was none other than Kaoru. He smiled and confidently approached the SPR table and greeted them a cheery good afternoon. His smile broadened as he saw Mai. "Hey, Mai, how's it going?" he said.

Mai smiled and replied with a simple "Fine." Just then, Bou-san, who recovered from his earlier trauma, cut in with his usual "It's good to be young" statement.

This earned him a kick in the shin, courtesy of Mai, of course. Ayako laughed it off in a mocking way as if to make fun of Takigawa. Naru and Lin remained impassive.

"So, what are you doing here?" Mai finally asked.

"I was hungry," he replied with a smile, "so I came here. Mind if I sit with you guys?"

"No! Not at all!" the monk and the miko said at the same time.

Kaoru chuckled as he pulled up a chair next to Mai. "You two seem pretty close." he said as he sat down.

"Huh?! Us?! No way!" They both said at the same time again, thus receiving chuckles from Mai and stifled giggles from Masako and John. Naru and Lin were as stoned as ever.

"Ah, um, if you two say so…" Kaoru finally said, fearing the dangerous aura the two were giving off.

Once the commotion settled down, everyone managed to eat their meals in peace. Occasionally, little talks about the case would come up. Taking this opportunity, Naru decided to question Kaoru a bit.

"Kaoru," Naru started with an all out serious tone, "there are some questions I'd like to ask you that might help out in our investigation. Would you mind answering them?"

The team silenced at Naru's sudden forwardness. Kaoru didn't think much of it, though, and agreed to help out where ever he could.

"Good. You could start off by telling us what you know about the hospital and the construction site. Anything you've witnessed or heard of is fine."

Kaoru nodded and began his story. "Well, I know that the original building is very old. I think it dates back to the Meiji era. Through the years, there have been stories of disappearances and accidents so the place has been ruled off as 'off limits' for decades. Some of the older workers told me lots of stories about how dangerous that plot of land is and honestly, I've never believed in it. That is, until I witnessed it for myself…"

"Eh?! Kaoru-kun, you've experienced something happen?" Mai exclaimed.

"Yeah. I was around ten years old at that time and the land was still off limits. I was with a couple of my friends and we decided to sneak into the old building at night. While we were in the hallway, some of my friends started hearing noises, like a thud followed by a dragging sound. I didn't hear it so I was skeptical and thought they were joking. My other friends didn't hear anything too, at that time, so we just kept walking. But…when we turned away from the main hallway, everyone heard it. A loud 'thud' followed by a dragging sound. It went on a couple of times, thud, drag, thud, drag. It followed that pattern over and over. By then, we were spooked so we made a break for the exit. That's when I made my mistake. We were almost out of the building when I looked back. Then I saw it. In the dark hallway, I could see a single figure on the ground. It was a body, or at least half of it. The top half, actually. I put two and two together and figured that the thud and dragging sound we heard was actually the upper torso moving. The thud was its arms stretching out and the drag was it dragging what was left of its body." Kaoru said with a shrug.

"Th-That's creepy…" Mai said.

"Even with your experience, you don't mind working there? In the hospital, I mean. Aren't you afraid it might come out again?" Bou-san asked.

Kaoru shook his head. "That was a long time ago. Besides, no one knows about what happened back then except me and my friends; and honestly, I don't think they remember it anymore. Because no one really knows, I can't give any reason for me not to help out there."

"Eh? Why don't you tell someone, then?" Mai asked.

Kaoru smiled sheepishly. "I can't let people know I was afraid of something from so long ago. Besides, it's fine as long as I don't work night shifts or go around by myself."

Naru nodded his head. _So there have been paranormal things going on since before_, he thought. Next, he asked Kaoru about the client, Yasuo Hatori. Kaoru replied saying that Yasuo-san was one of the most well loved people in the town and that everyone looked up to him. There wasn't anything discriminating Kaoru could say about Yasuo-san

"I see." Naru said in his business voice. "Well then, if you don't mind, we'll be going ahead. We have more investigating to do."

With that, Naru called his team back to the base. They said a quick goodbye to Kaoru and followed Naru's quickly retreating figure.

Back at the base, Naru gave everyone something to do. He made Masako and John go around and check for spirits. If ever they found one, they were ordered to exorcise it. Monk-san and Ayako were tasked to measure the outside perimeters of the east wing and the old building. Monk-san was about to complain when Naru explained that it was because he didn't trust the blueprints very well. After all, it was an old copy and probably not very reliable since changes have obviously been made over the years. Lin and Naru were going to keep watch over base and record anything unusual. As for Mai, it was obvious. Naru wanted her to dream. And so she did.

-----

Mai opened her eyes and found herself in a completely different place. Her surroundings were dark and she couldn't see far distances well. Everything was hazy.

Around her, little glowing orbs floated about. _Will o' the Wisps,_ she thought. She glanced around her. There were so many of them, hundreds or thousands. Mai turned to her left and saw a familiar face smiling at her, and at that moment she knew she was having a dream.

"Naru," she whispered softly. He was smiling so gently at her. _Why don't you ever smile at me like that when I'm awake? _

Naru approached her and took her hand in one of his. With his free hand, he pointed to the distance.

"What's there?" Mai asked.

Without a word, Naru pulled on her arm like a little child. Mai did the only thing she could think of. She followed. Naru led her away from her original standing until they reached a place that was almost completely packed with the little floating spirits.

"I don't understand…What do I have to see here?" Mai asked, bewildered.

"Not see…hear…Listen to the will o' the wisps" the Naru from her dreams replied.

Mai closed her eyes and listened intently. She strained herself and concentrated hard until she started hearing sounds. The blurry sounds soon turned into voices. The voices turned into cries. Mai opened her eyes. _They're crying…the spirits are crying…They're in pain…_ Mai's eyes started to water.

_They're suffering…_

Suddenly there was a loud 'bang!' sound, like something exploded, followed by thunderous gunshots. The sounds of firearms and explosions were deafening and the cries of the spirits grew louder until they turned into wailing.

Mai woke up. She was alone in her room. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and stretched. Running a hand through her hair, she tried to understand her dream. A groan of frustration escaped her lips as she stood up and straitened out her wrinkled outfit. Then she walked out the door to find the others.

All alone, Mai walked to the hospital in silence, still in deep thought of what her dream meant. As she neared the hospital, she could hear the sound of the equipment fill her surroundings. Strangely, when she entered the hospital building, the sounds faded. _Must be sound proof…_she thought to herself.

Mai rode the elevator and pushed the button for the 4th floor. Soon enough, the doors of the elevator opened revealing a dim hallway. As she made her way to the base, she heard a knocking sound. She listened intently. It was coming from the wall!

The knocking grew louder and more intense until it became a loud rapping. Mai closed her eyes tight and covered her ears, afraid of what was going on around her. It didn't take too long for the rapping noises to turn into full banging. The walls around her seemed furious as the banging grew louder. Mai's knees felt weak and she sunk to the floor, her hands tightly covering her ears.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard a small but distinct voice. "Help…"

Mai's head jerked upward, her eyes shot open.

"Mai!"

She saw Naru emerge from behind a corner. He knelt beside her, just as the banging began to fade.

"Mai, are you alright?" he asked.

Her hands fell from her ears as she nodded slowly. "What…was that?" she asked.

"I don't know," Naru replied, "but look around."

Mai lifted her head and scanned around. The walls, all of it, were covered with scratches, like a great struggle had just taken place. Everywhere she turned, no wall stayed in tact. Then, she remembered the little voice crying for help.

"I heard something," she said quietly. Naru looked at her as she pushed herself to continue. "It was a little girl, calling for help."

Then it hit her. Her ears were covered so tightly she thought they might be crushed. How could she have possibly heard anything besides the banging and rapping? She barely heard Naru asking if she was alright.

"It was a spirit, wasn't it?" she finally asked.

"I think so." Naru replied. "Let's go back to the base. The others should be back there by now."

Mai nodded. Naru stood first and held out his hand to her. _So he can be nice in real life after all, _Mai thought to herself as she let Naru pull her up.

They walked in total silence back to the base, with Naru in the lead and Mai following closely behind. It took them less than three minutes to round the corner and reach the base. Naru pushed open the door. Inside, a monk, a miko, a medium, a priest, and Lin were huddled around the computer, with Lin at the keys directly in front of the screen.

Everyone turned toward them.

"Mai, you alright?" asked a concerned monk.

"She's fine," Naru answered for her, "but she's been hearing voices in her head."

_You make me sound like I'm crazy…_Mai thought. There was a moment of silence.

"You know," Bou-san finally said, "something doesn't seem right about this whole case. I really think there's something the people aren't telling us."

"What I'm more concerned with is why there are even survivors." John said. "I mean, if the spirits can kill anyone whenever they choose, why leave any alive when they've already experienced paranormal activity?"

It was a good question. Why? The spirits could have killed them. What made them different from the ones that died? What was it in the people that the spirits were looking for? Surely there had to be something in the patients from the hospital that determines whether they die or not. But what? This was the question on everybody's mind after John's little statement.

"That's what we have to find out." Naru cut into everyone's train of thought.

"Naru, I've finished comparing the blueprints to the measurements taken." Lin announced. The blueprints are a bit off all around the building. A few areas were also meters off. Here," Lin moved his chair aside to let Naru and the others have a look at the computer screen. "The red parts are the areas off by a few feet. The ones marked in blue are off by meters." Lin informed.

The screen showed a simple layout of the hospital, but the layout was doted with blue and red highlights. Small parts were left black and white, but those were barely noticeable.

"Are you telling me that these little dots are the only parts of the original plan that was accurate?!" Mai asked.

Lin said nothing but nodded his head. Mai was a little shocked. _How could this be the blueprints Yasuo-san gave us? It's barely anything like the layout now. I'm sure he would have known…but why would he give this to us then?_ Mai wondered.

((A/N: Ahh!!! Where is this story going??!! Honestly, this is wavering far away from my original plot. But, hey, I'm getting curious of where this is going. Please Review!!!!))


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: AHHH!!! I'm sorry I wasn't able to reply to any reviews!!! Gomen nasai!! Just to be clear, I just forgot. I'm a very forgetful person, mind you. So no reviewer responses just mean I'm careless. But I still look forward to your reviews!! Hahaha! But from now on, I'll remember to put responses. They'll be at the end of every chapter. Here's the fourth chapter! Enjoy!

BTW…What happened with that last chapter anyway??? Ahh! Nevermind. Enjoy this next chapter!!!

4:20 PM

"Hey, Naru," Mai finally said, "wouldn't Yasuo-san know that the blueprints are off? I mean, if he's doing construction, then measurements are really important, aren't they?"

"Yes, supposedly that's true." Naru replied.

"So then, why'd he give us these blueprints if he knew they were wrong?" Ayako asked.

"To throw us off, maybe." Bou-san guessed. "I'm sure he didn't know we'd recheck the measurements."

Mai made a face. "Why would he do that? He's the one that asked us to come solve this case. Besides, these supernatural stuffs are killing his business. He'd be happier the sooner this case is done. Why would he want to sabotage it?"

"Nobody said he's doing it." Naru said. "We're just speculating."

"But you were implying it," Mai countered. "Everywhere we go, no matter who we ask, nobody would have anything bad to say about Yasuo-san. I don't think it's nice that you're blaming him for trying to help this town."

"I agree with you, Mai. But, like Naru said, we're not putting the blame on Yasuo-san." Ayako cut in. "But it's still a fact that he gave us inaccurate blueprints."

"It could've been an accident!" Mai snapped back.

"Alright, Mai, that's enough. No one's blaming him. That's that." Naru ended the conversation abruptly. "What I'm more concerned with," he continued, "is the writing on the back of the blueprints."

Everyone's gaze drifted to the sheets of paper lying on a brown wooden table. The papers were faced down so no one would see the blood-red lettering, but that didn't change the fact that it was there.

Whispering to them.

Taunting them.

A cold shiver found its way up Mai's spine.

"It was definitely done by a spirit." Masako said. "But it doesn't seem like it was very angry when it wrote this…"

Naru sighed loudly enough to get everyone's attention. "This is getting us no where. Prepare your sleeping bags, everyone. We'll be staying here tonight."

"Eh?! But…" Ayako was about to complain.

"The paranormal activity occurs here so we should be 'here' when it happens again." Naru explained. "If there are any complaints about this, then feel free to leave. Any one else have complaints?"

That ended it. It always did.

"I didn't think so." Naru checked his watch. "It's a little past four-twenty. Dinner's at six. Let's meet here around seven."

Everyone nodded and Lin went back to tapping the keys of his laptop. Everyone left to gather what little stuff they needed for their little sleepover that night.

----------

5:27 PM

Mai finished packing and had absolutely nothing to do so she decided to go back to the base and leave her stuff there before it got dark. _Before it gets dark…_It scared her…when it got dark…that's usually when stuff happens…

Mai shook her head to clear it of the threatening images that surfaced. She checked her small bag again to see if it had everything she needed. Yup, it was all there. With a sigh, she stood up and heaved her little luggage, if you could call it that, and made for the door.

----------

The cool evening air blew against her as she left the hotel. Ayako and Masako were still inside packing when she left. As she neared the construction site behind the hospital, a chill ran up her spine, and she suddenly wished that she had waited for the others to finish packing. Without a second thought, she ran for the hospital, knowing it would do nothing to calm the uneasiness within her.

She pushed through the large glass doors separating the outside from the inside and shuffled in.

The lobby was a lot warmer than it was outside, and for that she was thankful. There was a woman behind the front desk, but she was different from the one they had met when they first arrived. She was tan-skinned, with shiny brown hair in a tight bun.

Mai greeted her with a smile, and the woman smiled back.

"Hi, do you need something?" she asked.

Kagura. That's what her nameplate bore.

"Ah, no, K-Kagura san?" Mai said, "Uh, well, I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new?"

Kagura laughed, "Yes, I started this morning."

"What happened to the one who used to work here?" Mai asked, with a bit of worry in her voice.

"Hmm," Kagura said thoughtfully, "I don't know. I heard she got spooked or something."

Mai only nodded. She was about to leave when another question flew into mind. "Hey, do you know anything about this place? I mean before Yasuo-san started working on it?"

"I don't know anything about that except that there were stories. Not that I believe in those, of course. But if you really want to know something, there's a local library full of books and stuff about this place's history, but I can't guarantee that you'll find what you're looking for." she replied with a shrug.

"A library? Thanks, I'll check it out tomorrow." Mai replied with a smile as she turned towards the elevator.

It brought her all the way up to the fourth floor. Suddenly, she remembered the banging and rapping…and the little voice…

She ran. Even though she knew it was foolish of her to be so afraid, she ran. She didn't want to experience it again.

She was about to round the corner when she suddenly froze. There in front of her was a little girl, standing, staring with pale blank eyes.

"H-Help…" the little girl said in a hushed whisper that was barely audible.

"Who are you…? How can I help you? What should I do…?" Mai asked in an equally hushed tone, tears threatening to spill.

"Help…" the girl said one last time before she disappeared.

Mai's knees went weak and gave way. She dropped to the floor. She was stunned. _Naru…_Naru needed to know about this. She quickly got up, picked up her bag, and ran around the corner to the base. She threw open the door and said in an alarmed and panicked voice, "Naru!"

Naru looked at her. "What? Mai, what's wrong?" He stood up from his seat to help Mai steady herself.

"I…I saw her…the voice I told you that I heard…It's a little girl, Naru. She was scared! She…she was so scared…" Mai said, unable to hold back her tears anymore. "We…have to save her…" she said in a quaky voice. She was shivering violently.

Naru helped Mai sit down as Lin brought a cup of hot tea for Mai. It helped Mai calm down a little, but she was still shivering lightly.

"Calm down. What happened exactly?" Naru asked as gently as he possibly could, without sounding too worried.

Mai took a deep breath to slow down her racing pulse. "A…A little girl…I saw her…She was asking for help…"

"Where? Where did you see her?" Naru pressed.

Mai closed her eyes tightly, trying to hold back more tears. "In the hallway…she was standing at the corner. So scared…"

"Okay," Naru said as he sat down beside her, "anything else? Was there anything else she said?"

Mai shook her head. "No."

Just then, the door swung open, and Bou-san, Ayako, Masako, and John strode in. They stopped short of a step as they saw Mai, with tears spilling down her face. The monk was the first one to run over to her side to ask what was wrong.

"Now's not a good time for Mai." Naru said in his usual icy tone. "I'll fill you in later, over dinner. Mai, you're okay staying with Lin, right?"

Mai nodded.

Naru turned and headed for the door. The others left their luggage and followed him, but Bou-san turned around and said, "We'll bring you something back," and closed the door behind him.

Now Mai was alone with Lin. He didn't try to make conversation, but that was just fine with Mai. For the moment, she was just happy to have the company.

----------

"Um…Lin-san…what do you think is taking the others so long?" Mai finally asked. Sure, it had started out as a comfortable silence, but it kind of turns awkward if you've been this way for an hour…

Lin didn't look up from his laptop. "Probably on their way, already."

"Oh…" _Not that I was expecting much of an answer from him anyway_, Mai thought. "Hey, Lin-san, did Naru ask you to find anything about this town's history? Or the hospital, at least?"

Lin wheeled his chair around and looked intently at Mai. "I tried, but there's nothing about this place from my sources. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Mai said with a shrug, "I was just wondering…What kind of place was this hospital before…? Any ideas?"

Lin turned back to his laptop. "No."

Mai winced. "How about other sources?"

"This town is small and secluded. It isn't on any map, so it's unlikely anyone outside the town would know anything that goes on here." Lin replied coolly.

The door flew open and Naru walked in, followed by the other SPR members. They looked a little tired, maybe frustrated?

"We brought you a sandwich. You too, Lin." Bou-san said as he handed a plastic bag to Mai. John gave Lin his dinner.

"What took you guys so long?" Mai asked, already picking up her sandwich and bringing it to her lips.

"Naru had some questions…Let's just say he wanted to make the most out of daylight as he could." Bou-san replied with a weary look on his face. "We were running around town a bit. Not the best thing to do after a meal, if you ask me."

Mai nodded, then she turned to Naru saying, "Hey, Naru, I heard there was a library in town. Do you think we'll be able to find anything about this town or its hospital?"

"Library? Where'd you hear about that?" John asked.

"The new receptionist at the front desk," Mai answered.

"Hmm…a local library…? Well, I guess it'd be a good place to find out about this town. Mai, I'm counting on you to check it out. Takigawa and John will go with you." Naru said in a commanding voice that guaranteed no arguments.

A/N: Don't worry. Stuff will start happening, probably in the next chapter. Please Review!

And now, without further ado…THE REVIEWER RESPONSES!!!! The special part of any fanfic to answer reviews, questions, comments, or suggestions!!!!

Our first reviewer for the last chapter is…….

AZAMIKO-SAN!!!!

Yes, it's true that things like that are preserved, but in this case, it wasn't. It's a small town, after all. Either way, it was inaccurate. Changes will be made but never to the original. Thanks for reviewing! Please keep reading!

Next is……..

CARISSA-SAN!!!!

Hey, thanks for the support! I'm glad you liked it. I'll try to keep things interesting so please keep reading. And your reviews are really appreciated!!!

Next we have……

LADY LIGHT!!!!!!!

Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad to hear that the descriptions were able to help you get the feel of the story. Actually, I'm thinking if I'll write a fic about that "last case." I'm not really sure. But please look forward to updates! Thanks again, and please keep reviewing!

Tsugi wa………

MIMORI FAN FOREVER!!!!

Haha! Don't worry, I won't quit! I'll finish this fic for sure! I'm sorry if I update really slow, it's just that there's not enough time for me to work. I'll try to update sooner. Thanks for the review and keep 'em coming!!!

Lastly, we have…….

AYJAH!!!!

Thanks for the review. Glad to hear you'll be sticking around. I'll update soon.

That's it for the reviewer responses, now we have a special message to all the readers:::

Thanks so much for those who've read my story! I promise to update sooner! Also, all reviews are welcomed so please tell me what you think!!!!!!

And to all those who've reviewed in the past, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!PLEASE KEEP 'EM COMING 'COZ I REALLY APPRECIATE 'EM!!!!!!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello! Hello! Welcome back! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!!!!!!

----------

8:00AM

Mai and John got off Bou-san's SUV, which was parked in front of a tall, messy-looking building. Cracked and peeling paint hung loosely on the walls, and weeds sprouted up everywhere. The trio made their way through the overgrown pathway leading to the library. There was so much vegetation that the path was almost covered over.

They reached a large mahogany door at the end of the path. Bou-san reached for the rusty doorknob and swung the door open. "Hello? Anyone here?" he called.

"O-Over here…!" came a small muffled voice from behind a long wooden desk. A moment later, a small woman emerged. "Sorry…No one ever comes here, you see. I…I'm not used to company. Is there something I can help you with?" she asked politely.

"Uh… well… Yeah. We're looking for something." Bou-san said with a bit of uncertainty.

"Sure! Tell me what you need! I know every inch of this library. I've been working here for a good three years, you know. Not that anyone ever comes by. I always spend my time here, so I'm sure I can help with what you're looking for. As long as it's here, of course." She said rather loudly for a place like a library.

"Do you know where we can find stuff about this town's history? Maybe about the hospital Yasuo-san is in charge of rebuilding?" John asked cautiously.

"Oh, yeah. The old stuff. It's all stacked in the back room. Follow me." she said as she made her way towards a row of shelves. Mai and the others caught up with her as she disappeared behind one of the shelves at the end of the aisle.

"Over here," she called as she dug in her pocket for a ring of keys. She fumbled with the keys until she found the right one, and stuck it into the keyhole. The door opened slowly with a menacing creak, revealing a dark staircase. "It's all down there," she pointed.

"Uh…thanks…" Mai said.

The strange librarian waved it off and went back to her desk to do whatever it was she was doing when the threesome first walked in. Their gazes fell back on the stairway leading to the darkness. Bou-san found a light switch and flipped it on. The dim, flickering light of a single light bulb was their only guide on their descent.

It didn't go on for too long though. It was only a short flight of stairs that led to something that looked like a basement, one which smelled like it hadn't been opened in a hundred years. At the bottom of the stairs, Bou-san clicked open a small hanging lamp, and instantly, the small room was filled with light.

Mai scanned the room, as did Bou-san and John. Boxes were stacked upon boxes, each looking old and fragile, as if it would crumble at the slightest touch. Old shelves stood shakily along the walls of the cramped up room. Old books were lined along the shelves, as well as scattered around the floor. Newspapers were stacked up in a corner, tied together by a thin cord. Mai could smell the mildew and mold wafting about the room, and it made her feel sick. For a minute, she wondered if the others felt as nauseous as she did. Apparently, they did because John quickly suggested that they bring the stuff upstairs.

The monk disdainfully picked up one of the larger boxes and carried it up the stairway. John did the same, and Mai picked up a smaller one. They made a few rounds before they could get all the boxes out of the stuffy room. The only things that were left were the books and newspapers. They took deep breaths before descending the stairs once again. It was nearing lunch time when they finally got all the things out and piled around a long table.

"Whew!" Bou-san whistled. "Those old, stinky boxes took a lot more out of me than expected. You guys wanna get some lunch before we come back?"

Mai and John looked at their messy pile before nodding their heads in unison. With that, they headed out the door, but not before saying a word to the librarian that they'll be back so that the library wouldn't close early. They headed for a nearby café instead of going all the way back to the hotel. This way, they could get back to work as soon as they finished.

Their meal didn't take long for them to finish. Although none of them wanted to get back to the stinky mess in the library, they _were_, however, intrigued by what they might find…

----------

Half an hour had passed as Bou-san, Mai, and John started leafing through the ancient historical books and newspapers. "Found anything?" Mai asked, stifling a yawn.

John nodded eagerly. "Did you guys know this town used to be a battleground for a great war?"

Bou-san and Mai looked at him with surprised eyes. Seeing that all eyes were on him, John continued, "It's here, in one of the newspapers I read." John began shuffling around a pile of newspapers until he found the right one. It was dated to some decades ago. "Here it is," he said triumphantly, "It's nothing much. Some kind of territorial battle, maybe?"

"I think I read something like that in one of the history textbooks." Mai said, more to herself than to the others, as she began leafing through a thick book. "Here!" she exclaimed in a voice too loud for a library. "Foreign countries tried to take over this entire place a long time ago. Some of the escapees fled here, but the invaders soon found out and chased the escapees here, where a great battle occurred. The escapees won the fight and were left alone, thus beginning this town."

"Hmm…" Bou-san said as he began rummaging through the other boxes.

He gasped.

"Guys, get a load of what I found…" he said in a low voice, his gaze never leaving the contents of the box in front of him…

----------

6:28 PM.

"S-Shimatta!" Bou-san cursed loudly. "It's this late already?!"

Mai checked the wall clock hanging high above the library's door. "Oh no! We were supposed to meet Naru and the others at the hotel half an hour ago! How did it get this late?!" Mai yelled in disbelief.

John shook his head solemnly at the panicking pair. He remained calm even though he was actually afraid of what Naru might do to them. "Let's get going. No use making them wait more than they have to." He said, trying to sound positive and keep his voice from cracking.

The fright-stricken duo didn't need to be told twice. They raced out the door, dragging poor John along with them as they made for the car parked outside. They raced past bushes and shrubs, and leapt over the occasional branch on the ground, all the while avoiding the rocks and cracked cement here and there. At last, they emerged into the clearing where the SUV was parked. Less than a minute later, they were in the car, panting and out of breath. Bou-san wasted no time in getting the engine started…

----------

It was already 6:45 when they arrived at the hotel, and they weren't exactly very presentable either. Twigs and leaves clung to their hair and clothes. They were soiled all over; expected, since they were running like crazy through a mini jungle. They were met with looks from all the customers at the little hotel resto when they entered the area, but none were as piercing as Naru's cold glare.

"You're all late." He said in an annoyed tone as they approached their table.

"Eh…Haha…" John laughed nervously. "Sorry…Lost track of time for a while…" he explained.

"It was rude of you to keep everyone waiting." Ayako spat as she turned to the monk. "Can't you even watch over two kids?" she asked him mockingly.

Bou-san was obviously too tired to argue with her, plus he was probably more eager to tell them about what they found in the library. Not too hard to imagine. Even Mai was a little excited. What they found was big, and maybe she'd finally get the credit and respect she felt she deserved.

The monk grunted in annoyance to the miko's teasing. "I'm sure you'll all forget about our being a little late after you hear what we found out about this town!" He grinned.

Naru cleared his throat. "We'll talk about it back at the base. In case you haven't noticed, you're yelling has attracted some attention."

The monk looked around to find unappreciative glares being thrown at him from everywhere in the room.

"I guess they don't like people talking about their town…" the monk whispered as he raised his hands defensively at his uncalled-for audience.

He sat down and began eating his meal, as did John and Mai.

Right after their meal, Mai and Bou-san rushed everyone to get back to the base. Even John seemed a little excited, which convinced everyone that whatever they found was something crucial.

----------

7:17 PM

"Okay, what's with all the rushing? What's so important?" the Miko spat disdainfully, but with a hint of curiosity in her tone. Naru's impatient look told them that he, too, was interested. Even Lin turned away from his laptop to pay more attention.

Mai was already eager to tell about their discoveries. "We'll start from the very beginning. This whole town, it all started with a group of escapees from a foreign occupation. They fled here, to this very town, where a great battle broke out for independence. They won the war, and the foreign soldiers left them alone, but many lives were lost. Eventually, a mayor was instantly elected and given the task of fixing up the town, starting with the removal of all the corpses. Some of the corpses were identified and their families took them to be buried. On the other hand, some corpses were unidentifiable so no one came to claim them. Then the mayor passed an order to collect all the left-over unclaimed bodies and bury them together in one of the vacant lots on the edge of the town. Guess where that is?" she said smugly.

"You mean…this building was built over all those dead people?" Ayako said in disgust.

"No. As you all know, another hospital was built here once upon a time. Well, before that was built, the mayor at that time ordered to have all the bodies dug up so that the hospital wouldn't be built over a grave. You know, 'coz people say that'd be bad omen and all." Bou-san said. "But did you know it wasn't exactly a medical hospital?" he asked matter-of-factly.

"What are you getting at?" Naru said, his usually stoned face shifted to a puzzled one.

"It was an asylum," John said, "for patients who were mentally ill."

"So, for crazy people?" Ayako asked.

John nodded his head. "But it was closed down because there were many complaints."

"None of the townspeople said anything like that when we asked them about this hospital." Ayako scoffed.

"That's because it's a major taboo here." Mai said quietly.

"Eh?" Ayako said, clearly surprised. Even John and Bou-san, who were with Mai in the library looked at her with questioning eyes..

"That's what I thought when I read this." She pulled out a folded piece of old paper. It wasn't very big, just something like a page of a notebook.

"_There are many things that cannot be spoken of. I shall be wise to take caution."_

"I found it in one of the old books. I think it may have been ripped out of a diary or something." Mai said.

Naru read over it once more. "Did you find the rest of the diary?"

Mai shook her head. "We didn't have enough time. There were lots of old books at the library. We couldn't look through everything with the little time we had."

"I see. Then you'll go back tomorrow." Naru said.

Mai, John, and Bou-san nodded.

That night, they ended up staying at the base again.

Mai woke up in the middle of the night-or did she- to find herself staring at…nothing. Darkness all around her. Mai knew it instantly. She was dreaming. She looked around, and there he was. Naru, standing there in the distance, smiled gently at her.

"…Help…" said a familiar yet eerie voice.

It was _her_. The little girl who'd shown herself clearly to Mai once before. Slowly, Mai walked carefully beside Naru. She looked straight at him. "What should I do?" Mai asked.

Naru looked at her sadly and shook his head. Then his gaze fell back to the little figure of the girl, slowly making her way toward them.

Mai followed his gaze. _What can I do? I'm sure there has to be something…what?_

"_Onee-san, why aren't you helping me?"_ the little girl begged.

Mai couldn't answer. Instead, she asked, "How? What should I do?"

"_Tazusa."_the girl replied before fading away.

She woke up, the morning sunlight poured in around her; the base was filled with light. No one was around except for Lin, who seemed busy sorting through papers and files. He didn't seem to notice her wake, or he simply didn't care.

"Where is everyone?" Mai asked.

"Out for breakfast." Lin replied without even looking at her. "You were sleeping so well that they didn't want to wake you."

"Oh."

Then there was silence.

"Hey, Lin-san, you've been researching about this place, right?" Mai said after a few minutes of silence passed.

"Yes."

"Did you ever find anything about a 'Tazusa'?"

Lin looked at her. "None that I remember. Why?"

"Uh…No reason…I was just wondering." Mai replied nervously.

Just then, the door swung open and the rest of SPR shuffled into the room.

"Here, Mai," Bou-san said while holding up a Styrofoam container, "Eat up. We've got a lot of work to do today."

Mai accepted the food and sat down at a table to eat.

----------

7:45 AM

Mai, John, and Bou-san were on their way to the elevator. They were going to leave for the library again.

The hallway was dark, all the fluorescent lights were off and all the room doors were shut so no light entered the hallway. It was as dim as night.

"Why are all the lights out?" John asked. "They were all lit when we came up."

"I don't know, but I don't like it." Bou-san said in a low business tone.

Mai said nothing, but goose bumps were already crawling up her skin.

"_I'm here…"_

Mai whirled around. "W-Who…?"

"Mai?" John asked. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing…I just thought I heard something…" Mai replied. _Something doesn't feel right…_she thought.

"_I'm here…Help me…"_

Mai turned back and bolted back down the hall. "I heard it! I'm sure I did!" she yelled over her shoulder to Bou-san and John who were following behind her heels.

"_In here!"_ the voice grew urgent. _"Help me!"_

Mai shifted her weight and turned to a door on her right. Her hand clasped around the door knob as she tried to twist it open, but her efforts were in vain. The door was locked. "Help me out here!" she called to John and Bou-san who were just catching up.

Now all three of them were pulling on the knob.

"_HELP! HELP!"_ the voice was frantic, and there was banging and crashing all around them.

"_I don't wanna die!"_

It seemed like an eternity before the crashing died down. Then everything went quiet. The door, which had been jammed and locked a few minutes ago, swung open with ease.

Mai peered inside. The room was dark and seemingly desolate. A small bed was pushed up in one side of the room with a little table beside it. The curtains were down, letting no light in.

"What just happened?" Bou-san found his voice.

Mai looked around the room again, as if making sure there was no one there. "Did you guys hear it?" she asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"The banging? Of course we did…"

"No! Her…"

John and the monk looked at each other. "Mai…"

"I'm sorry…" Mai said to herself. _I couldn't help again…I couldn't do anything…_

"Hey," Bou-san said while putting a reassuring hand on Mai's shoulder, "let's go."

_Why…? Why am I the only one that hears her?__ Who is she? How can I help her?_

_How can I save her…?_

A/N: Hoho! Here's the end of this chappie!! Hmm…how indeed…

Only I know the answer! Hahaha!!!

Remember: The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update!!!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Greetings::: Hi! Hello! And all that. Usual disclaimer applies.

They arrived at the library at a little past eight. Again, they made to the front door, this time with only minor difficulty. They found their mess from yesterday still lying around the same table, just as they had left it.

"Good thing the librarian didn't bother to clean up. Let's get to work, we might find something big again today." Bou-san said confidently.

Mai had something else she wanted to find. Tazusa. She didn't know what it was, but she was determined to find out. That, and the missing diary. She had a feeling that the diary was a key factor for solving this case. Somehow she knew that it would be essential in binding up all the loose ends, and she was going to find it.

She knew she couldn't do both at the same time, though, so she decided on finding out where the rest of the diary was first. Somehow something told her that answers would start showing up once she found the diary. She hoped deeply that whatever would be in that diary would also tell her something about 'Tazusa.'

She looked around the pitiful mess once again. As far as she remembered, they had already gone through most of the books yesterday. There were a few unopened ones, but she figured those were too big to be where the little piece of paper came from. The only possibility now would be that the diary was kept away in one of the aging boxes.

Without another moment of hesitation, she quickly set to work opening up one of the boxes. John cast her a sideways glance but said nothing about the girl's sudden enthusiasm.

Three hours later, the young priest and the monk sat sprawled out on the floor.

"I got nothing! This promising day is completely turning around!" Bou-san complained.

John said nothing, but inside, he agreed. Mai, on the other hand, didn't even bother looking their way. She just kept rummaging through the big box in front of her. She had already gone through four or five of the boxes, but there were still several boxes with contents yet to be examined.

"Hey, Mai, don't you wanna take a break?" Bou-san asked.

"I can't. I have to find the missing diary." Mai answered without even sparing her companions a quick glance.

"Tch! Is that what you've been looking for? Sheesh, you're caught up. You've been at it for hours."

Mai went still. Her rummaging ceased as she said in a low voice, barely above a whisper, "I have to find it. I have to know…_Tazusa_…"

"_Tazusa_?" John said thoughtfully. "What is that? Somebody's name?"

Mai suddenly straightened. _Of course! Why didn't I think of that? Tazusa…it might not be a something at all! It's…someone…Her, maybe? So then, the diary…?_

Without any more hesitation, she went for another box. She ripped open the old flaps and began shuffling through the contents. "Help me find that diary," she said in a flat out serious tone.

The monk and priest jumped into action, taking their own boxes and rummaging through.

It was already way past noon when John suddenly shouted, "I think I found it!"

Mai and Bou-san abandoned their own piles of mess to join John, who had made his way to a clear table. There, they opened the diary somewhere to the middle and began skimming through the entry.

_They brought another one to THAT place again. I can't stand it anymore. I could be next, anyone could! This place…I don't belong here…_

Mai skipped a few lines, all the way to the bottom of the entry.

_Tazusa._

There it was! Tazusa. Her suspicions had been confirmed. Tazusa wasn't a thing. It was her name. The name of the little girl who had been constantly begging for help. _Her_ help.

"We have to show this to Naru." Mai said.

John and Bou-san nodded their heads in agreement and the three of them made their way out the door and into their vehicle. Bou-san drove faster than usual and pulled the van to a halt in front of the hospital. The three dashed out the van and into the building. Mai pushed the call button for the elevator, and, as soon as they were inside, hit the button for the fourth floor.

As soon as the doors slid open, the three of them were out the door. Mai sprinted on ahead with John and Bou-san close behind her, trying to keep up. They rounded the corner and barged into base, but Naru was nowhere to be seen.

"Lin-san, where's Naru? This is important." Bou-san asked.

"Out with Masako and Ayako." Lin replied.

"Can't you get him back?" Mai begged.

Lin turned around in his chair. "He'll be back soon. You should just wait."

Seeing as there was nothing else to do, Bou-san and John grabbed some seats while Mai started making some tea. She handed a cup to Lin, John, and Takigawa before taking one for herself. She paced about the room with her cup in her hands, careful not to sill any of the tea. She took a few sips occasionally, but it was obvious that she was restless and eager.

"Mai," Bou-san finally spoke up, "why don't you sit down? Fussing isn't going to get Naru back."

With a sigh, Mai dropped down onto a folding chair beside John. She put her now empty cup on top of the table next to her. With a careful hand, she reached for the little dust-covered book next to her cup. She dusted it off a bit before turning to one of the entries of the diary.

She skimmed through the pages, reading bits and pieces of the entries. One thing she noticed, though. All of the entries have one common theme. Fear and uncertainty.

There was something else she kept repeating. _"I don't belong here."_

The sight of the little book caught Lin's attention. "Is that the rest of the diary?" he asked with a hint of interest.

Mai nodded. Just then, the door clicked open and the missing members of SPR walked in. Ayako was the last to enter and she closed the door slowly behind her.

"You three are back early." Naru commented.

Mai rose to her feet with the diary in her hands. "We found it." Mai said, holding the small item out to her boss.

Naru turned to the first entry and began skimming from there.

"It belongs to a little girl named Tazusa - the same girl I've been seeing. And by the looks of those entries, she seemed really scared about something…" Mai informed the rest of the team.

"'The Dungeon'" Naru said.

"What?" Mai looked at him with a puzzled face.

"It's mentioned here a couple of times. 'The Dungeon' is a place where kids are taken to for 'punishment.'" Naru explained as he browsed through another entry.

"So, where is this 'Dungeon?' And what does that Tazusa kid have to do with any of this?" Ayako asked.

"She was one of the people administered into the hospital. But it wasn't because she was crazy." Mai said.

"Her family died because of some sickness brought about by the war. She along with other children who have lost their families in the same way were made to live in the hospital as patients." John said.

Naru raised an eyebrow, "And where did you find that out from?"

Bou-san stood up and handed a green logbook to Naru. "Tazusa's name is listed in there, along with the other kids who were put in the crazy house with her. Plus her story is in that diary. I saw it in one of the first few entries."

Naru flipped to one of the earlier pages and began to read with the others looking over his shoulder. Mai was one of them, so he didn't mind much.

"_Mom's gone, and so is dad. I wonder what they'll do to me? Some of the other kids who lost their parents were taken away somewhere. I think they'll come get me, too."_

_-----------_

Naru turned to another page.

"_They came for me today. They took me to __the hospital. Mom always told me before she died that this was a scary place, and that I should never come near here, but now I have no choice. Sorry, mom, but the strange people who brought me here said I have to stay here from now on. There were also other kids who came with me. We were all taught the rules together, as a group._

_We must never leave this place. The wall around the hospital is the border. If we ever cross it, we will be punished._

_We must never speak to anyone who lives 'outside' the walls. If we ever talk to anyone whom we were not given permission to talk to, we will be punished._

_We must never talk about anything that goes on here. If we ever talk about anything that goes on here, we will be punished._

_These are the three rules that must never be broken. If we get caught disobeying any one of these, punishment will be severe."_

"They're feeding them a lot of punishment stuff." Bou-san commented. John only nodded.

"So what did the people at the hospital do anyway?" Mai wondered.

Naru closed the diary. "I don't know. We have to find out."

"Um…" Masako interrupted, "There is something I have tell you. I only noticed it recently, but I think there are different kinds of spirits here. I doubt they're all bad. Some of them are harmless, but there are a few threatening signs I can't really place."

"Like, spirits with a grudge?" Ayako asked.

Masako nodded slightly. "Something like that. Basically, what I'm saying is not all the spirits here are bad."

"In any event, there are still many unanswered questions that we need to fill before we can get this investigation moving again." Naru said. He turned to face Mai and said, "You must be tired…"

_Oh, I get it. He wants me to dream…Okay, I'll do my best,_ Mai thought.

Without another word, Mai nodded her understanding and left the rest of the group to head back to their hotel. "I hope I get something useful" Mai said to herself as she lay down on her bed to take a rest.

Her eyelids slowly slid closed and before she knew it, she was dreaming…

OoOoOoO

_Mai was in a hallway, walking as if her feet had somewhere to take her.__ She had no choice. She had to follow._

_As she continued to walk, her surroundings__ changed…She came to a dark room, all alone. She could hear footsteps somewhere outside. Suddenly, the door swung open and a tall silhouette figure loomed in the passage of light, almost completely blocking out the only source of light of the dark room. Mai felt fear wash over her as the figure stalked in closer to her. Judging from the build, it was a man. He came and grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up; then he dragged her out. Mai tried to struggle, but the firm grip grabbing onto her tresses would not let go, wouldn't even ease up._

_Mai was forced to follow, barely able to keep herself up. She suddenly felt weak…very weak…as if all of her energy was draining out by the second. Her throat was dry and sore, and she felt her knees go buckle and give way under her. She fell on the hands and knees, but before she could catch her breath, she felt a forceful tug on her hair._

"_Get up!" the man bellowed. "Get up, Tazusa!"_

'_Tazusa? He thinks I'm her? Maybe this is a memory…' Mai thought._

_She__ struggled to get back up on her feet. Before she could steady herself, though, the man began to move again, dragging her by her hair once more._

_She forced herself to continue following the big man, even though her body was screaming at her to stop. She felt so tired and weak. At long last, the man let go of her hair forcefully, which caused her to slam straight into the floor._

"_This is it," the man said. "This is what you get for talking to someone without permission. If you get out of this alive, which I highly doubt, I hope you would've learned your lesson."_

_With that said, he opened a trapdoor on the floor and forced her to go down into the darkness. Unwilling to oblige because of her fear, Mai slumped on her spot on the ground and refused to move. "Why you…!" the man threatened. He lifted Mai up by the hair once more and shoved her into the dark abyss._

_She hit the bottom hard, but she was alright. With what little strength she had remaining, Mai pulled herself off the ground and looked around her. She could see nothing except darkness. She lifted her hands up to her face, but she couldn't even see them. With a sigh, she put her hands down and began to cry._

_She felt so afraid and helpless. She was trapped in a pit of darkness and there was nothing she could do about it. In a last attempt, she struck her hands out to the walls surrounding her, trying to feel her way in the pit and attempting to determine how much space she had to move around in._

_From what she could tell, she was confined in a small and cramped space that was enough for just one person. It was shaped as a circle, probably some old sewer pipe or something that was blocked off. Around her, she could hear strange sounds that she couldn't really place, and that scared her all the more. The fact of the matter was that it could be anything, but you have no way of determining what it is. All you can do is stay there and wonder helplessly._

_She slumped down and began feel light-headed. She didn't know what was going on, but somehow, she felt too weak and tired to even care anymore…With that final thought, her body shut down completely._

OoOoOoO

Mai awoke in a bed in a spacious and well lighted room - the exact opposite of the dark pit in her dream. Remembering the horrid events, she gave an involuntary shudder as she began fixing herself to go and look for the others.

'_So that's what Tazusa was so afraid of. They tortured those poor children b__oth physically and emotionally.'_

She gave another shudder at the memory of the pit. The feeling of helplessness was etched in her mind. Her heart ached as different emotions of pity and anger overflowed inside her. _'No'_ she told herself. _'I have to be strong so that we can solve this case and free the souls of the children who were trapped here so long ago,'_ she thought as she neared the place where it all happened.

A/N ::: And so here we are!! Hmm…I might drag this on for about two or three more chapters. So now the mystery of the hospital is finally revealed.

Sorry I haven't been replying to reviews lately, but I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who took the time to give me their comments. I really appreciate them. As for everyone else, I'm still waiting for your reviews. And in case there was something you guys wanted to tell me, but didn't want others to see, then PMs are also very welcomed!!!

Love you all!!!


	7. Chapter 7

And so, here I am again. I know I haven't been updating and I'm really sorry…I've been really busy cram studying and everything…But that's not important. What matters now is that I'm back and you all still love me!!!

Before I forget and get sued, I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters…sob…

Chapter 7

When Mai arrived at the hospital, shivers raced up and down her spine. Memories of her nightmare – Tazusa's memories – came flooding back to her once again. She struggled to suppress the thought of the dark frightful pit from surfacing, and it was a losing battle. She reached their base and soon found the comforting presence of her companions.

She debated with herself whether she should tell them now or wait for a better time. She knew now would be best, but she, for some reason, didn't want to remember any of her dream. She knew talking about it would only bring the fears back, as well as the tears that were already threatening to spill.

She was torn. She knew in her heart that her dream was a key factor to solving this case, and she wanted it to be over for the tortured children. She wanted them to be free, she was sure. But…at the back of her mind, a small voice was telling her not to do it. Something – or someone – was trying keep her from saying anything.

The others seemed to catch on to her silence. The same silence that screamed she had something important to say.

"Mai," Naru finally said, "Have you had any dreams lately?"

Mai's head perked up a bit. Then she averted hr gaze as she nodded. In a voice barely above a whisper, she said, "I know what the 'punishment' is."

By now, all eyes were on her. She felt uneasy about all the looks she was getting. Not only that, the voice telling her not to say anything grew louder. Mai debated whether or not she should go on.

"And what is this punishment?" Naru said softly as he moved to sit beside Mai.

Again, the voice told her not to say anything else. This time, though, it was somehow more menacing.

"I…" Mai began, "I…It might be different on other times, but…" She paused, still uncertain if she should go on.

Naru placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "Mai, we have to know. Tazusa is depending on us, remember?"

Mai nodded.

"Then tell us about your dream," Naru instructed, removing his hand form her shoulder.

"I was in a room, all alone. Some big men came and dragged me out…The pit…" Mai's voice grew hoarse and her throat went dry. Still, she forced herself to continue. She had to if she wanted to help Tazusa and all the countless others. "The man threw me into a cramped dark pit. I couldn't see anything at all. It was terrifying and…" she couldn't go on anymore. Tears flowed down her cheek and dripped to the floor beneath her feet.

Just then, the lights went out and banging and thrashing sounds followed. Mai covered her ears and shut her eyes. For some reason, though, she opened her eyes a bit. And that was her mistake.

Over in a corner of the room stood a furious-looking, blood-covered girl. _Tazusa…_

"How could you?!" she bellowed as tears ran down her bloody face. "It's because you broke the rules that they're doing this to me. You…you did this to me!" Tazusa cried, pointing to all the gashes and dark bruises all over her body. "I told you that you weren't supposed to tell them…"

The banging grew louder. Tazusa was clearly angry. The noises seemed to respond to her rage.

"No…" Mai choked. "We're not the ones doing this to you…"

"NO!" Tazusa screamed and the noise escalated. "You lied to me! You said you'd help me, but you only made things worse…" she accused.

Before Mai could say another word, the clamor subsided and Tazusa disappeared. Everyone was still a bit too stunned to speak. Even the ever controlled Lin slightly twitched. Naru uneasily glanced around the room, scanning everyone's face for an explanation.

"What was that all about?" Bou-san asked aloud.

"Tazusa…" Mai said in an inaudible whisper. Naru looked at her and couldn't help but notice the look of fear and terror etched on her features.

"Mai, what did you see?" Naru asked, immediately aware that she had seen something they hadn't.

Mai couldn't speak. Tazusa's words still lingered in her mind. _You did this to me_.

"I…felt a presence. It was very angry about something." Masako interrupted. She looked about the room and added, "But it's gone now."

Mai slumped forward. Without even looking up, she whispered, "I'm sorry…I can't…"

"Mai, you have to tell us exactly what you saw." Naru demanded.

Mai looked at him with tear filled eyes. "I can't! I already hurt her…" she yelled.

"So all the racket was caused by that Tazusa kid?" Bou-san asked comfortingly. Mai only nodded.

"Tazusa's angry. Do you know why? Is it because you told us your dream?" John joined in. Again, Mai nodded.

"But isn't she dead already? Why should it matter to her that we know?" Ayako asked.

Naru turned to Mai, waiting for her to say something. Nothing came and he sighed in frustration. If she wasn't going to tell now, then he couldn't force her to. Whatever she saw during the entire ruckus must've been frightening for her.

"_I already hurt her!"_ her words echoed in his head. _What does it mean, _he wondered.

"We're staying at the base again tonight, right?" Ayako asked. Naru nodded. "Then Masako and I will bring Mai's stuff for her," she suggested. Masako looked a bit reluctant, but nodded in agreement anyway.

"I'll go help." Bou-san offered.

With that, the three of them went to gather their belongings, as well as Mai's. John also left to get his things for the night. Now all those who were left were Mai, Naru, and Lin. Seeing as Mai wasn't talking, Naru busied himself asking Lin some questions. Mai was busy with her own thoughts.

_I hurt her? But I thought I was helping. Poor Tazusa…what've I done? They hurt her so much…But who are '_they_'? Tazusa is dead…can they still hurt her? There's no way, they should be dead as well by now. It's been many years… _

As these thoughts ran through Mai's mind, she didn't notice a very concerned Naru glancing her way. Every once in a while, he would look up from talking to Lin just to make sure she was still there. And not crying. He hated it when she cried. Somehow, it hurt him as well. He wasn't sure why he got so affected every time she wept. Whenever she cried, he would have to fight off urges to just run and hold her until she felt okay and stopped. It was a hard battle every time, and now was no different. Seeing her there with a troubled conscience, it was becoming more and more difficult to hold himself back.

Afraid he would lose the battle, Naru moved for the door and left abruptly. He said nothing, and he knew he wouldn't be questioned. Only Mai dared to do that, and, right now, she had her own thoughts to work through; as did he.

Naru walked straight, not knowing where he was headed, only that he was moving. It was already dark, and the air was cool around him. A strong wind blew against his slightly pale face. It felt good, and he knew he needed it. He breathed in the night air and continued his stroll. He tried to forget about Mai for a moment. It was difficult, since everything he thought about would lead to Mai eventually.

Finally, he decided on just focusing on the case for now. How far have they come at this point? The old asylum, Tazusa, the punishments, and pain it was causing Mai…no…he couldn't think of her right now. He wouldn't allow himself. He was a man of control. He could hold this, even though the voices in his head were telling him otherwise.

He shook his head to clear the confusing thoughts that were surfacing. _"I already hurt her!" _Mai's words lingered in his mind once again. Suddenly, a thought came to mind.

_Of course! Why didn't I think of it before? Why hadn't I realized it? __It was so obvious! The war, the asylum, restless spirits, the survival of some patients…why didn't I see it sooner?!_

With new found determination and just a hint of excitement coursing through his veins, Naru turned and made a run back to the hospital. He was going to solve this case and end the Mai's hurt. And he was going to need the help of everyone in SPR…

A/N: Okay, that's it for this chapter. I thought it would be a nice place to leave off. Sorry it took so long for me to review…I've been really busy…Please don't hate me!!!!!!!!

PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Remember: More reviews equals faster updates!!!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter8

In SPR's base…

Mai had somewhat calmed down. Everyone except Naru was gathered in the room, enveloped by a dead silence. None of them dared to say a word, afraid that a single wrong comment would hurt Mai any more than she was hurting now. Mai was suffering, and they could all tell.

Suddenly, they heard Mai gasp. A look of terror was on her face as she stared forward to an empty corner of the room.

"No…" she whispered.

Everyone looked at her and soon rushed to her side. "Mai," Bou-san said, trying to pull her out of her trance. "Mai, what's wrong?"

Masako gasped, and Bou-san, Ayako, Lin, and John turned and looked at her. She paled and fell back as her knees gave way, and she fell to the floor shivering.

"Masako?" Ayako said worriedly. "What's going on?"

Masako lifted a trembling hand and pointed to the wall where Mai was looking. "T-There…" she whispered shakily.

Everyone turned their attention to the wall in time to see a figure forming into the shape of a human, then into a little girl. Her face and clothes were tainted with mud, tears, sweat, and blood. Her expression was a cross of sadness and hate. It was Tazusa.

"YOU!" she yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Mai. "Look at what you've done to me! Everything…this is your fault!"

Mai couldn't say anything back. She was either too afraid or too guilty to even utter a word. But then, what could she say? She wasn't completely sure of what was going on herself. All she knew was that Tazusa was hurt and angry, and it was her fault because she couldn't help. Contrarily, she made things worse.

"Why didn't you save me? You made me go through so much…You lied to me!!!" Tazusa continued to yell, not even trying to hide the anger in her voice. "You made me go through it, all of it…all over again…"

"No, she didn't," a familiar voice resonated above Tazusa's screams. There, standing at the doorway, was Naru. He moved cautiously to Mai's side and knelt down. Then, very softly, he whispered into Mai's ear, saying, "It's not your fault. Everything will be fine, trust me." Then he stood to his full height, and told Tazusa in a commanding voice, "Mai's only mistake was helping you. We came here to investigate the strange phenomena, but you knew all that, didn't you?"

All eyes turned to Naru as he spoke coolly and confidently. Tazusa's penetrating glare turned to him as well, the anger evident, with just a hint of caution. With his brows furrowed together as if he were thinking, Naru looked up at the menacing apparition and continued.

"The deaths of the patients, malfunctioning equipment, poltergeist activity. Everything was your doing," he said, his voice firm.

"No," she yelled, infuriated and insulted. "I'm the victim! Everyone's hurt me…and I thought she was going to help!" she pointed her finger at Mai, her entire arm shaking from fury. "But no-"

Naru sighed and cut her off. "The real victim isn't you at all. In fact, you're the one causing all this. First," Naru said as he eyed Tazusa's form. "You were the one killing the patients. After all, it isn't fair, is it? That you suffered so much in this place, why should they receive healing here? In the same place where you were so brutally hurt?"

Tazusa's eyes rounded with shock, for a moment, but then they returned to a cold hard glare. That was enough to confirm Naru's suspicions. Her reaction was proof enough that he was on the right track.

"And as for those who managed to make it out alive, well-"

"Yes," she said, cutting him off. "Those fatuous nurses and fake doctors, the same ones who'd murdered me and my companions, wouldn't let me go. 'We feel bad about it,' they said. Hah!" she snorted scornfully. "Feeling bad doesn't change the fact that they hurt us! Now they think they can make up for what they did by trying to save these people. Ludicrous! They managed to get a few, but, then again, I won't let it happen any more."

"And everything else was your doing as well?" Naru confirmed.

Tazusa nodded. "It is as you said. Messing things up a bit would definitely complicate things for those doctors both then and now."

"Th-That's…" Mai began, trembling, her voice faint and barely audible. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Tazusa, the troubled little girl who was supposedly suffering, was the reason they were called to investigate. The sad, lonely child who had gone through such horrid events before her death was now causing pain and suffering for others.

Her mind unconsciously flew back to her dream, Tazusa's memory. The pitch black dungeon - like being in your own coffin, fully aware that you were being buried alive but with no way to get out – found its way into her thoughts.

"I know," Mai said slowly, her breath raspy, as she stood up. "I know it's hard for you…but you're wrong. Those people who'd hurt you, they're truly repentant."

"There are some things repenting can't fix," Tazusa retorted.

"But it's over now," Naru said sharply.

With a wave of his hand, Lin chanted a spell and, in an instant, his shikis shot out from thin air. They wrapped around her, tightly binding her and hording her in place. She forcibly tried to struggle, but Lin's shikis overpowered her.

A small smile crawled up her features.

"You think I'm done?" she asked mockingly.

All of a sudden, the building began to shake violently, as though a fierce earthquake had been unleashed. Deafening explosions reverberated around them. Crashing noises erupted as things fell off shelves and equipment toppled over. Screams could be heard resonating all around, screams from the nurses, doctors, patients, visitors…and Mai.

Mai.

Naru hurriedly bent down next to Mai and held her close, shielding her from anything that came too close.

"We have to get out! This place is coming down!" Bou-san yelled over the blaring noise that surrounded them.

Naru firmly, but gently, pulled Mai to her feet. She obliged with urgency in her movements. Lin, who had released his shikis, moved to aid Naru and Mai. As soon as she was on her feet, they forcefully steered her out. She followed with short quick steps, still a bit wobbly from the shock of things.

The hallway seemed to run on forever as the group scurried to get out of the building. Everything was happening so fast. Mai could barely register what was going on around her. At this point, there were only three things she was entirely sure of:

Tazusa was the one causing all the paranormal activity out of her thirst for revenge.

She has a horrible temper, and is currently in a terrible mood, and

They had to get out of there, and fast.

The building was caving in behind them, the noise echoing closely as they ran the length of the hall. Bit by bit, chunks of concrete were collapsing around them.

Adrenaline pulsed through Naru's veins as they were making their escape. But, instead of keeping his eyes straight, forward, and focused, he cast sideway glances at the girl running beside him.

Mai huffed heavily as she ran along side Naru. Even as they descended the hospital's stairs, in a total rush, she'd found they were perfectly in step, neither one overtaking the other. Of course, now wasn't the time to think about that. She had to focus on getting out alive, first.

The crashing walls were catching up, and they were still only on the second floor.

"We have to get out here!" Bou-san, who was leading the way, yelled. He veered off, away from the stairs, and headed for the nearest window. With as much force as he could muster, he leaped and crashed through the window, smashing right through it, and landed outside onto the concrete with a thud. Everyone else except Mai and Naru, who were still caught up at the end, followed suit.

Now only those two were left in the building. As soon as Mai rounded the stairs, she could see the broken window through which everyone had escaped. She hesitated a bit, but Naru grabbed her hand and continued running. Mai tried to keep in step and ended up following him. As soon as they jumped for it, Mai felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her, Naru's arms.

For the first time on this entire mission, Mai felt safe, secure in his arms.

He was protecting her. She wasn't sure why exactly, but he was protecting her. From the shards of glass of the window, to the impact from their jump, he shielded her as best he could.

To be honest, he wasn't so certain himself. It was as if he couldn't help himself - which was unusual for him since he had always been a man of control. The fear, the doubt, the hesitation in her eyes at that moment…everything caught him so off guard. He didn't even know what he was doing until it was all over and they were both outside, under the clear blue sky, panting for air with the rest of the group.

As soon as he was sure they were both safe, he loosened his grip and released her.

"Are you okay?" he managed in between breaths, a hint of worry etched in his voice.

Mai looked at him with confusion and worry written all over her face. She looked him over and finally responded after seeing that he was okay, a bit scratched here and there, but still recognizable. "Yeah," she muttered softly. "And you?" she asked just to make sure he was really as well as he looked.

He didn't answer as he stood up to face the still crumbling building. Without a word, Bou-san was beside him, chanting his incantation.

All movements ceased for a moment. Hundreds of translucent white orbs floated out of the broken structure and ascended to the sky.

That was it. It was all over. Or was it?

There was still one more.

One that refused to leave.

Tazusa.

As quickly as it had ceased, the building resumed its demolition, only this time, it was louder and fiercer. Mai covered her ears to shield herself from the deafening noise that filled the air.

Construction workers and random passers-by didn't dare come near the site. Curious spectators also knew better and kept their distance.

In a few seconds – which felt like hours to Mai – the rumbling noises died down. In front of them, amidst the rubble and destruction, a lonely figure stood with blank eyes. Naru turned to Lin, and, without a moment of hesitation, he responded with a nod of his head.

He lit a match and flung it to the debris. Various substances and chemicals reacted to the tiny flame and the entire area burst into flame. All the while, Tazusa stood in the middle of it all, staring, unmoving. Bou-san stepped forward and began chanting once more, an air of authority clearly embedded in his voice.

Mai stared wide-eyed at the events before her eyes.

"Purification by fire," Naru said without looking at her. "It's better this way. Tazusa won't be able to hurt anyone anymore."

"I know," Mai said quietly.

He cast a sideways glance at her tiny figure beside him. Then, in a soothing yet stern voice, he said, "You tried your best, but she was beyond saving. Her anger and regret bound her here and kept her from finding rest. With this, she can move on, and maybe even find happiness."

For the first time in a while, he saw her smile.

"Yes," she said, "I think that's what she was looking for all this time. I guess her search for happiness got lost to revenge somewhere along the way. After all, that _is _what we're all searching for…happiness, I mean."

He smiled at her. "Yeah," he muttered lowly.

They stood, watching the embers fade up to the sky, and, as the smoke drifted towards the heavens, Mai whispered a quiet prayer for Tazusa, hoping that her spirit will finally find peace. With a smile gracing his features, Naru watched carefully as her eyes closed slowly.

A moment passed before she opened them again and turned to face him directly. "What?" she asked, a hint of curiosity in her tone.

Not good. She had seen him staring! Of course, Naru would never be one to panic often.

Just as he was about to mutter an excuse, a voice bellowed out from behind them. "What in the world happened here?" the deep voice thundered.

The team turned around to see Yasuo stomping towards them, a confused yet furious look in his eyes. "The hospital...my work...what happened?!" he asked again.

"Don't worry. We've removed the spirit that's been haunting this place. I think it's okay for you to start building again," Bou-san said as an explanation.

"Oh, that's great," Yasuo replied somewhat sarcastically. "But what about all this?" he motioned to the burning mass. "Do you have any idea how much this construction has cost me so far? It's all ruined! Do you usually burn down the places people ask you to exorcise?"

"No, not usually," Naru replied, a bit tired from the day's events.

"Purification by fire is only done for spirits that are strongly attached to a place," Lin explained, stepping in for Naru.

"So…it's really gone?" Yasuo asked again. Everyone nodded their heads in unison. "So if I start rebuilding now, nothing will happen anymore?" he asked again as a confirmation.

"Nothing unusual," Bou-san said.

"Good," Yasuo murmured with a nod of his head.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The next day, the team was busy packing up their equipment, well, what was left, anyway. Much of the monitors and cameras had been damaged in the collapse of the hospital, including their base. Of course, Yasuo agreed to pay for all the damages, as well as the full fee for their services. But while everyone was hard at work, Naru wandered off on his own.

They had almost finished packing up when Mai noticed her missing boss.

"Where's Naru?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Bou-san murmured as he looked around. "I'm guessing…he's not here?"

"If you're looking for Naru, he went somewhere on his own a while ago," John answered cheerfully.

"That's strange…I'm going to look for him," Mai called over her shoulder as she raced off.

She was running for about ten minutes when she spotted him sitting on a large boulder near an entrance to a small wood, his back facing her.

"Hey, Naru," she called.

He turned around, surprised by the sudden sound. "What are you doing here?" he asked monotonously.

"I was looking for you," she said quietly.

A small sigh escaped Naru's lips as he turned back to stare off into the woods. "You found me," he finally said.

With light steps, Mai cautiously approached the large boulder where Naru sat. Moments passed and neither of them said a word. Mai could tell that Naru was in deep thought, and she debated with herself whether she should say something or not.

"Mai," he finally broke the long silence. "Come sit with me."

Confused, Mai obliged, moving to a spot next to Naru. She lowered herself carefully, making sure that she wouldn't slip and humiliate herself in front of Naru.

She waited for him to speak. Another moment passed before she saw him open his mouth to say something, then close it shut again.

"Naru…" she finally said, unable to bear the nerve-wreaking silence.

"Wait," he said somewhat nervously.

Mai shifted a bit, but, nevertheless, maintained her position on the large rock. She waited, just as he had told her to. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a troubled expression on his usually calm features. Once again, he parted his lips to speak, but closed them again before a word could escape. With a soft sigh, she looked down on her hands, entwined her fingers, and laid them gently on her lap.

Naru wasn't having it any easier. There were so many questions buzzing around in his mind. He wondered why he always felt so happy whenever he was around her. He wanted to know why he always wanted to be beside her, to protect her. How could one clumsy girl make him feel so…alive? He didn't understand. That's why he came out here in the first place. He wanted to think.

Now that she was here, beside him, all of his thoughts, excuses, explanations that he had thought of a while back got all jumbled up again. He couldn't help it; she just had that kind of effect on him. But still, he liked the feeling of having her near him…

He couldn't understand it himself. She perplexed him without even trying, and that's just one of the reasons he found her so interesting.

"Mai…" he whispered lowly.

She caught on to him instantly, and she looked up to face him.

The second he saw her look at him, the words were lost to him again. All he could focus on were her big round chocolate eyes that seemed to sparkle in the morning sun.

"Uh…" He didn't know what to say, or rather, he couldn't say anything at all. He was mesmerized by her anticipating eyes; but he knew he had to say something.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. "Mai," he said in a cool tone. He was surprised at how steady his voice was despite his inner turmoil. "I don't know how to say this…I mean…What I'm trying to say is," he stuttered nervously. "Ah…just hear me out, okay?"

Mai tilted her head in confusion, but nodded anyway.

"Well, you're not like anyone I've ever met. You're different, and that bothers me. I don't understand you. You're just too hard, sometimes. I…I just don't get you…"

At this point, tears were beginning to form in her eyes. "So what?" she interrupted. "What are you saying? That you don't want to see me anymore?" She just didn't get him! Here she was, being very patient wit him, waiting for him to say what was bothering him, and he tells her that she's the one who bothers him?! She couldn't take it!

'_I knew it,'_ she thought, _'I knew he would never love me no matter how much I loved him…But, still…I worry so much why can't he feel that…He'll never understand…I love him so much, and it hurts me. It hurts to know he'll never feel the same way for me…but it hurts even more to have him say it,'_ she thought as tears began spilling over her cheeks

"Mai…That's not it!" he yelled.

She was taken aback by his sudden outburst for a moment, but recovered quickly, answering, "Then what?"

"You confuse me…You make me feel things I've never felt before. The need to protect…no one's ever made me feel it as strongly as you do…And…well, you make me happy. I…I want to always be with you." (A/N: A little too bold for Naru, I know, but really, most anime characters go crazy when they're confessing…)

As soon as he finished, he looked away from Mai. He didn't want to see her reaction. He didn't think he could handle the rejection, but, to his surprise, he felt Mai take his hands. He turned and faced her, completely shocked to see a smile on Mai's face.

"Naru," she said the three short words that made him feel light and at peace inside. "I love you!"

The moment those three words escaped her mouth, Naru wrapped his arms tightly around her. Before she could register the sudden hug, she felt Naru's warm lips crashing onto hers. She smiled and gladly kissed him back.

The pair stood there, Mai in Naru's arms. She sighed contently as she leaned against his surprisingly muscular chest.

"Aishiteru," she murmured.

"Aishiteru," he mumbled.

Le FIN

A/N: How was it?? Please review!! Also, for those who don't know, Aishiteru is like saying "I love you" but in a deeper way. I think it's for lovers or couples who are really deeply in love. If it's just shallow, like a crush or as friends, it's like "daisuki."

Correct me if I'm wrong, and please review!!!


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